frenchlover

Word on the street is that Princeton sent out decisions today. (Someone I know confirmed that they received an acceptance.)

based on what i've heard, that sounds about right.

Hey there, Just take the plunge and apply to PhD programs. When my advisor first told me to also apply for PhDs in addition to MA degrees, I was like ??? But it was definitely a reaction she had seen before, so she kept pushing the case and here I am... ultimately attending my top choice PhD program. The issue with MA programs at 'top' schools is that you will have to pay for it... not worth it (although idk about art history -- perhaps there is a value added for potential curators?) The evaluation for your MA candidacy in programs at Chicago, NYU and Columbia is automatic if you are not admitted into the PhD program. (There may be other MA programs that at least waive tuition, some at very good schools too!) So go ahead, apply wherever you want for your PhD -- the worst that could happen is that you simply get into the MA program, or a no. Don't be discouraged by being first-gen, poor, poc, whatever. That's how academia keeps us out -- push through it, believe in yourself, and it will happen. As to whether the fact that your professors went to Stanford will affect your chances, I would say that it definitely helps sometimes (as long as people that they studied with are still at Stanford). As for your GPA, I would say your humanities GPA will be taken into serious consideration, and perhaps other fields if they are pertinent to your study (chemistry for conservation?) Your SOP, writing sample and recommendations matter a lot more than your GPA.

All that said, you could probably find adjunct positions somewhere, especially with an additional master's degree in the subject you want to teach.

Wow -- I hope not! Aren't there large tax implications of getting one huge lump sum?

True, but it may be important to know whether it's part of the record or not. If it says harassment, I'd be concerned, despite what letter writers say.

White feminists (particularly the rich ones) are a problem everywhere (see Taylor Swift). I am interested in the manner of your confrontation--and what you said to them. Did you confront them in class--out of the blue? I think it's also important to know whether this conduct is a part of your permanent record. If it is, you have some explaining to do. Your case does not sound super serious, but its evaluation depends on what you did exactly that would constitute harassment. Did these people ask you to desist and you continued to push the case that lol they were being white feminists?

You should ask your DGS about cotutelle placements. I know that one of Rutgers' recent graduates (who did a cotutelle) was placed very well. I think the 20th-century specialist at Johns Hopkins also did a cotutelle.

(disclaimer: I'm not in art history) If I were in your position, I would probably start by taking a few courses in art history in the bay area (no need to finish a master's imo - 2 or 3 courses by the time the app season comes around). Maybe at SFSU? This could help me make new connections with professors for recommendations, and allow me to figure out if this is really what I want to do. It would also demonstrate to PhD faculty that this is a serious career change. Moving out of the hypothetical, as someone who also had an unusual background, I would say that what matters in applications the most is how compelling your SOP, your project and your recommendations are -- and if they all resonate with some of the faculty in the department. GPA, GRE scores, etc matter a lot, lot less after a certain (nebulous) baseline. While it always helps to be the candidate that admissions members want, sometimes it is beneficial to be the candidate they did not realize they would have wanted as well. I think your current work could furnish a fascinating connection to the discipline -- what matters is how you present this story.

Columbia is notorious for its unfunded MA programs, particularly in the humanities (an MS in Statistics/CS pays off). That said, schools that only have MA programs (no PhD) and need TAs tend to give $$ support to MA candidates (I don't think Columbia has a PhD program in South Asian studies?) I found many wonderful funded programs of that nature, especially at public universities.

Depending on your school, you may be able to do an 'internal' transfer quite easily -- at least one person in my French PhD program did that (moved from art history to French literature).

Well, in that case, I suppose you have the incentive to write an excellent first chapter -- less rewriting in the end! (I submitted a paper I wrote for a class last fall, when I was applying, in which I was able to meet graduate writing sample expectations without worrying about the larger frame of the thesis.)

I wouldn't (and didn't) submit my thesis as a writing sample, as it is a large undertaking, and it is difficult to summarize its conclusions without having fully written it. First chapters also tend to be rough. Class papers are shorter, and you have more control and time over how polished they are -- I would just turn in a sample related to the proposed graduate project.

I'm in a 4-person cohort.

Your university's bookstore will have ordered copies. Theoretically, our stipends cover book costs. I must say, though, I bought very few books during my undergraduate career -- just work with your university's resources. Amazon also has good rates (i.e used bookstores selling on Amazon).